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FBI wants public help solving encrypted notes from murder mystery

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Re: FBI wants public help solving encrypted notes from murder mystery

#21

Post by pero »

proexploit wrote: post #19
portmanteaufu wrote: post #10

I know that it isn't practical for the FBI to publicize the approaches that they've attempted in deciphering this, but I'm very discouraged by the prospect of spending time on what might be simply redoing a small corner of a failed effort by someone much more qualified.

I agree. I'm certainly not their ideal codebreaker but would have given it a go for fun trying to come up with some off-the-wall stuff based on what I do but the lack of disclosure is a huge turn off.

How about them not feeling charitable enough to offer any reward for something they've probably wasted many thousand man-hours on?

Re: FBI wants public help solving encrypted notes from murder mystery

#25

Post by Natsu »

random42 wrote: post #17
sophacles wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A bit of pedantry: it is "on the lam" not "on the lamb" but that is a common enough misconception that I feel pointing it out is actually productive rather than nit-picky.

Absolutely. I am not a native speaker, so I appreciate it, when people improve my knowledge of the English language.

I just read your last two comments carefully. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have thought that you were a native speaker of English.

The lam/lamb mistake is exactly the sort of thing that even native speakers would screw up. You also have an extra comma in "appreciate it, when" but that's minor.

It's probably because you invite people to correct you that you're so good.

Re: FBI wants public help solving encrypted notes from murder mystery

#26

Post by giberson »

sophacles wrote: post #12
giberson wrote: post #8

I kind of wonder if this is an alternative to the old "You've won a free trip, come to this location to collect your prize" used to catch criminals on the lamb. It seems like this might be a ploy to tempt the ego of the murderer into providing the decryption of his own note. In other words, solving this puzzle may land you directly on the suspect list.

A bit of pedantry: it is "on the lam" not "on the lamb" but that is a common enough misconception that I feel pointing it out is actually productive rather than nit-picky.

Thanks for the clarification.

To me, as an idiomatic expression goes, it always made sense to be on the "lamb". I thought the expression had originated from shepherding--like a shepherd chasing after a loose sheep.

Re: FBI wants public help solving encrypted notes from murder mystery

#27

Post by jarin »

te_platt wrote: post #6

I have a nephew who has Asperger's Syndrome - severe. One of the things he loves to do is invent languages and list thousands of words as a dictionary and even write short stories with them. The image seems to have just a touch of the same feel. Significant repetition (NCBE) and limited variation of the letters (E is overrepresented). The story hints that the victim wasn't competent mentally. It mentions he could rea…

"McCormick was a high school dropout, but he was able to read and write …"

As a high school dropout myself, I'm a little insulted by the implication that all high school dropouts are illiterate!

Re: FBI wants public help solving encrypted notes from murder mystery

#28

Post by fluidcruft »

jarin wrote: post #27
te_platt wrote: post #6

I have a nephew who has Asperger's Syndrome - severe. One of the things he loves to do is invent languages and list thousands of words as a dictionary and even write short stories with them. The image seems to have just a touch of the same feel. Significant repetition (NCBE) and limited variation of the letters (E is overrepresented). The story hints that the victim wasn't competent mentally. It mentions he could rea…

"McCormick was a high school dropout, but he was able to read and write …" As a high school dropout myself, I'm a little insulted by the implication that all high school dropouts are illiterate!

On the other hand, hopefully we don't graduate illiterates.

Re: FBI wants public help solving encrypted notes from murder mystery

#29

Post by danielsoneg »

pero wrote: post #20
te_platt wrote: post #6

I have a nephew who has Asperger's Syndrome - severe. One of the things he loves to do is invent languages and list thousands of words as a dictionary and even write short stories with them. The image seems to have just a touch of the same feel. Significant repetition (NCBE) and limited variation of the letters (E is overrepresented). The story hints that the victim wasn't competent mentally. It mentions he could rea…

Asperger's precludes anyone from having the necessary toolbox to be even remotely considered 'streetsmart', as is mentioned in the article. Interesting perspective however.

Depends on where they are on the spectrum - one of the better salespeople I knew was diagnosed mildly AS. He was extremely smart, had gotten very good at reading people's mannerisms, and didn't get uneasy with that sort of manipulation - it's not a black and white thing.

And, frankly, "Street Smart" + "Murdered" = "Not Street Smart Enough"

Re: FBI wants public help solving encrypted notes from murder mystery

#30

Post by jarin »

fluidcruft wrote: post #28
jarin wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"McCormick was a high school dropout, but he was able to read and write …" As a high school dropout myself, I'm a little insulted by the implication that all high school dropouts are illiterate!

On the other hand, hopefully we don't graduate illiterates.

Well, I guess that depends on whether your standards for literacy include knowing the differences between "they're", "there", and "their".
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